VoiceOver Fails to Indicate Touch ID Unavailability Upon First Restart of a Device

Category
VoiceOver Announcements/Feedback
Severity
Moderate

Description

Upon first restarting an iOS device with Touch ID enabled, the user is required to enter the device’s passcode before Touch ID can be used. In iOS 7, if a user attempted to unlock the device using Touch ID immediately after a restart, VoiceOver would automatically announce that a passcode was necessary to unlock the device. In iOS 8, however, VoiceOver no longer automatically announces this information—potentially leaving the user confused as to why Touch ID does not work.

Bug First Encountered

iOS 8.0 or earlier

Device(s) bug has been encountered on

iPhone 6 Plus
iPhone 6
iPhone 5s

How often the bug occurs

Always

Workaround

Navigate the screen (either by using the one-finger swipe gesture or by touch) to hear any information, such as the aforementioned message about Touch ID being unavailable when a device is first restarted.

Status

Fixed

Fixed In

iOS 9.0

Options

Comments

By Wahid Raza on Saturday, March 28, 2015 - 10:43

Hi, I am also facing this bug
first time after upgrading to IOS 8.1 on IPhone 5s
I notice this bug later, I swiping finger Voiceover has read the message, but trying to unlock, via touchID Voiceover doesn't says
another thing is that, some time if we touch the home button to unlock, touchID fale to reckednize
after 3 atemp as usual it ask passcode
this happened some time.

By charles on Saturday, March 28, 2015 - 10:43

In reply to by Wahid Raza

As I understand it, when you restart your iPhone, you must enter the 4-digit pass code. This is a security feature. If you have locked the screen, you can use the pingerprint ID to unlock it.

By Brooke on Saturday, March 28, 2015 - 10:43

After reading the original post, the issue doesn't seem to be that we have to use the 4-digit codes to unlock the device after it's been powered down. It's that Voiceover doesn't always let us know, and so if someone doesn't know this ahead of time, it could be confusing. With my iPhone 6 running iOS 8.2, it's not automatically announced, but if I flick right after attempting to do the touch ID, VO does tell me my password is needed.

By Nina on Saturday, March 28, 2015 - 10:43

That's weird. VoiceOver does tell me that the passcode is needed when I restarted my IPhone. I did not have to swipe around the screen either.

By Jim on Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - 10:43

Still happening on 8.3